The Greens are up in arms over plans for what they call an incinerator a few hundred yards from people’s homes.

The facility, officially designated a “gasification plant”, has been given planning permission to be built on the Airport Road in East Belfast.

It is being constructed by aerospace firm Bombardier to help serve their energy needs but Green Party Councillor Ross Brown has raised concerns over the environmental and health impact the plant might have on people who live nearby.

It will be sited close to Victoria Park and across from the Sydenham area of the city.

Permission has already been granted for the facility which is able to process 120,000 tonnes of waste per year.

But an application was submitted in October 2014 to increase the throughput of the facility to 180,000 tonnes.

Cllr Brown added “very few people in East Belfast are aware of what is being proposed” since very few people were told.

Meanwhile, well publicised plans for a waste incinerator in Mallusk on the outskirts of North Belfast have sparked a public outcry.

The Greens believe the danger of burning waste is it will discourage public bodies from recycling their rubbish. Cllr Brown said: “We have submitted an objection to the proposal to expand the incinerator from one which is permitted to process 120,000 tonnes per year to 180,000 tonnes.

“In addition, we have called for a full health impact assessment on the project.

“The original planning application to process 240,000 tonnes of waste annually was refused based on environmental grounds and the DOE stipulated that processing more than 120,000 tonnes of waste would have an adverse impact on the environment and on health.

“Already, we are now seeing an application to increase the capacity above the point where it was deemed to have adverse impacts on health and the environment. In economic terms, energy from waste is an inefficient method of dealing with our waste.”

The councillor has organised a public meeting to be addressed by University of Ulster toxicologist Dr Vyvyan Howard on Wednesday at 8.30pm in Connswater Community Centre on Tamar Street.

He added: “Just last week, the Northern Ireland chief medical officer indicated that 200 extra patients ended up in hospital in December due to air pollution incidents so it is a serious and live issue.”

A DoE spokesman said the Green Party did not object to the first application, adding, “In fact there were no objections”.

He added the application to expand to 180,000 tonnes per year “is under consideration”.

Yesterday Bombardier insisted the plant will reduce their “reliance on fossil fuel”.

The firm added the facility will use a “gasification technology which represents the ‘best available technique’, as set out in European legislation, to produce energy and prevent impact on the environment”.